Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-03-04
rHE suLrAN,s APoLoeY.
War between the United States and th'
Turka HnpDily Avertel.


War Between the United States and the
Turks Happily Averted.
Prof. Mortimer Z. Cooley. who holds
the chair of mechanical engineering at
Ann Arbor. University, used to be Lieu
tenant Cooley OF the United States
navy, and, although he holds grave
and honored position as member of
the learned faculty of that Institution
and is quite an enthusiast in his pres
ent work, he still looks back with long
ing at the Jolly times he used to nave
on board the good ship Quinnebaug.
During that cruise to Europe on the
Quinnebaug, said the professor in the
course of chat a few days ago, 1--WE
anchored for awhile off ConstantinOple
opposite the Sultan's palace. The Olii-
GERS at the palace somehow got the I'M
preston that we were trying to fiirt
with the women of the harem-the
harem looks out upon the water-and
to fiirt with the Sultan's women is a
crime of very great magnitude in Con-
stantinople. / don't believe one on
shipboard knew any thing about the
harem, but that made no difference.
Anyhow, to Oblige the officials we
moved down the river. One day two
of our boys-one If them hot-blooded
Kentuckian-were out ON little pleas
ant trip, and were being poled down
the river in one of those Turkish boats
by native. One of the boys soiledhis
fingers somehow, and dipped them in
the water and then dried them with his
handkerchief. the boat being at the
moment directly opposite the harem.
A soldier on duty at the palace saw the
incident and thought, or pretended to
think. that the young fellow was try
ing a handkerchief Irritation. He hailed
the boatman and commanded him to
pull into land. The boys strongly OBJ
jected, but the soldier waved his yata-
CHAN and the boatman, who seemed
much frightened, shot the boat to
shore. The soldier could speak no
English and the young men could
speak no Turkish, but it was
evident the two we're to be made
prisoners. Notwithstanding their pro-
tests and resistance they were locked
up in. the palace guard-room and held
in custody several hours Then they
were marched out and brought before
magistrate. The soldier told his
story. The young men tried to ex-
plain in English, and in French and in
German, but neither the magistrate
nor any one else in the court could un-
lerstand. The Kentuckian was hot
and showed it, just as the magistrate
was about TO pass sentence--and n Sc
we're sentence it would have been-a
gentleman chanced to come into court
who was able to act as interpreter.
The young men explained that they
were officers of the United States navy,
and knew nothing about the Sultan's
harem, and would not touch one of his
women with forty-foot pole, anyhow.
The boys were discharged with n
caution. But the Kentuckian was too
mad to let it rest there. As soon as he
got on board he told the story to the
Captain, a hot-headed German; he got
mad, too. He .swore black and blue,
and by all that was high and holy, that
II ample ropar@tsca and apology were
not forthcoming he would shell the
palace. / might mention that the
Quinnebaug was a little sloop with a
few old guns; and the whole Turkish
navy, including British man-of. war
the Turks had just bought, was then
lying in tho harbor. But, donner und
blitzcnl the United States flag had
been insulted. and We would have TO
get satisfaction. The Captain went
straightway to United States Minister
Maynard aud told the story, and he,
too, got mad. Why, he was the mad
dest man of the three. He started for
the palace, and pretty soon had a big
complaint laid before the Sultan. The
result oft all was that n few days later
the Sultan and the Admiral Of the
Turkish navy came with all their
guards and paraphernalia to visit the
Qumnebaug and apologize to the in
suited officers. Trts young men
were called up and the Ad-
miral made speech in Turk
ish. The Captain received the apology
with gracious dignity, and thus peace
full relations were once more estab-
lished between the Turkish nation and
the Quinnebaug. The Sultan did the
thing handsomely by sending us the
next day present Of two brass cannon
from his private arsenal. p Chicago
Tribune.